8am in the morning and the doorbell rang. It was Abel and Cole with an organic fruit and vegetable box for me to try. Opening the box was a little like opening a lucky dip. What was going to be in there? I even had trouble recognising some of the vegetables (in my defence you don't usually come across spring greens in Australia). There were bananas, apples, spring onions, potatoes, broad beans, spring greens, cauliflower, lettuce, a pepper and a melon. There was so much food that it was immediately clear to me that MTV boyfriend and I would struggle to make it through it all. I had to plan as many meals as possible incorporating as many of the vegetables as possible in order to use them up before they started to take a turn for the worse. It was quite an interesting challenge but perhaps not one that I would relish every week.Abel and Cole helpfully have recipes on their website so I was able to work out exactly what I was supposed to do with those mysterious spring greens. I scoured recipe books for innovative dishes with broad beans and for some vegetables immediately turned to old favourites such as my Mum's simple recipe below for Cauliflower Cheese using the Abel and Cole cauliflower.
I did enjoy my experience of Abel and Cole. I liked the fact that the fruit and vegetables supplied were organic and seasonal and I thought the produce was good quality. However I think that the sheer volume of fruit and vegetables is just too much for a couple rather than a family especially a couple that eats out quite a bit. I hate to waste food and right now there is half a lettuce head slowly rotting in the crisper drawer of the fridge.
Cauliflower Cheese
1 Cauliflower head
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp nutmeg
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower head and cut into small florets. Place in an ovenproof dish.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a smooth paste and cook for 1 minute until bubbling.
4. Whisk in 2 cups of milk and stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour over the cauliflower.
5. Sprinkle with the cheese and nutmeg and bake in the oven for 15 mins or until the cauliflower is tender and the cheese is slightly brown and bubbling.
Serves 4 as a side dish. Goes very well with a Sunday roast.
If you liked reading this you might be interested in another side dish that goes brilliantly with a roast: Ottolenghi style fennel crumble.
Gourmet Chick was invited to try the Abel & Cole fruit and vegetables free of charge.
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